


He Loves Me

by alexthelioness



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Almost death, Blood, F/M, Gen, Romance, Skyeward - Freeform, Ward feels, skye gets shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-19 05:42:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4734695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexthelioness/pseuds/alexthelioness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She still can't protect herself, she thinks as she lies in the pool of her blood. Skye gets shot and makes one final call.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Skye felt so stupid, with all her training and all her joking around about being able to take on Ward, she was still unable to defend herself. She had driven to her apartment in the city. She barley used it except for those rare days where they had a day off. She should of called the bus as soon as she saw the door was open and heard the ruffling of movement inside . Instead she pulled out her own gun, confident she could take whoever was robbing her home. She didn't expect it to be a little kid, nor did she expect the little kid's older brother to appear out of nowhere and shoot her in his panic when she pulled out her phone to call the cops.

She didn't feel the pain until she hit the floor. She wouldn't of even thought she hadd been shot if she didn't hear the echo of the gunshot in her head. The shock of being shot in the first place allowed her the few precious moments of bliss before the pain began. The two boys argued for a moment of what to with the bleeding woman. Skye was curled on the floor, trying to think through the pain and reason with the boys. The little one began to cry, suggesting they call an ambulance. The older brother was against the idea, "She'll have us arrested!" "We can't just leave her here to bleed out!"

"...help..." she managed to moan. The older boy thought for a moment, then carefully aimed his gun at her again,

"So then we make it go faster." She felt the second bullet. It tore at her abdomen and she yelled in pain. The younger boy was now sobbing. The older one grabbed him roughly by the collar and dragged him out the apartment, leaving Skye to bleed out on the floor.

She could feel the blood rush out of her body. She tried to stem the bleeding with her hands but there was so much blood. so much red. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was going to die. A calm swept through her body, as though accepting she was going to die made the whole thing a lot easier. There was one thing she had to do. Something she had been meaning to for a long time. Groaning in pain, she reached around for her burner that she had dropped. Unlocking it, she dialed the first number on her speed dial.

The phone rang for what seemed like ages. Skye prayed that they would pick up soon, her vision was darkening.

"Hello? Skye?" Grants voice flooded her with relief, she would be able to say what she needed, "Grant, something happend, I got shot."

"What?! Where are you?!" she smiled at his reaction. She knew that as soon as she told him where she was, he would move heaven and earth to save her.

"I'm at home, but thats not the point. I've lost too much blood, by the time you get here, it would already be too late-"

"Skye, don't say that, were already on our way. Just stay-"

"Stay awake. I know. Thats a given. But Grant I need to talk to you, theres something I need to tell you and I figured I tell you before I go," she could hear the voiced of people in the background, FitzSimmons talking trying to figure out the best way to proceed, May giving Coulson directions, and the occasional curse coming form the leader himself as he avoids traffic.

"Skye, dont think that way, whatever you have to tell me-"

"Are you going to let me finish or not?" There was silence on the other end, she continued, "I may not have liked you when you first pulled that stupid bag off my head, but from that moment on, you've been with me. In Malta, the thing with Miles, even when I got shot the first time. I guess there was never a right time for me to say this, and Im thinking dying is a pretty good excuse, but Grant Ward, I love you. With every fiber of my being I love you." silence on the other end. She couldn't even hear FitzSimmons arguing.

"Skye-"

"Don't say anything. I want to go knowing that you know. I don't want the last thing I think to be, that you don't love me. Just give me this one-"

"I love you too. From the moment I sat you in the bus, I've been drawn to you. I can't imagine my life without you. So listen to me. Stay awake, don't lose hope, I want to tell you I love you to your face, so please. We're almost there." Skye could hear the desperation in his voice.

"You love me?" Her vision began to fade. "You love me."the pain had left her body, she felt at peace. "You love me." The last thought she had as she succumbed to the pursuasive song of sleep, _He loves me._


	2. Chapter 2

"Skye!" Grant yelled as he run up the stairs. He paused at the open door, raising his gun defensively. He stepped into the room, scanning the apartment for signs of life. He rounded the corner and felt something sticky under his foot. He looked down, seeing a pool of blood and an unmoving Skye.

"Simmons! I need your help!" he stowed his gun and quickly went to Skye's neck, checking for a pulse. He ddin't fell anything, wait, there was something. It was faint but it was there. "Simmons!" He called again desperation creeping into his voice. Shifting his attention from the woman's pale face, he focused on the big red spot on her stomach where she got shot. She had lost a lot of blood. Without another thought, he applied pressure to the wound, trying to stem the bleeding, keeping whatever blood she had left inside where it belonged.

"Skye, please stay with me," he whispered, tears begining to stream down his face, "SIMMONS!" he yelled again

"I'm right here!" The petite woman responded from the doorway. They had just entered the apartment. Coulson and May had their weapons drawn, checking the rest of the apartment was clear. Fitz stumbled in with a first aid kit. "Ward I need to asses the damage. I can't do that if you're blocking my way." Wordlessly Ward complied, moving so Simmons may reach the young hacker.

"She has a weak pulse. Judging from the entry wounds, there were two shots to the abdomen." Coulson and May joined them, fear painted all over their features,

"Is there anything we can do?"

"She's lost a lot of blood and we don't have the luxury of a hyperbaric chamber this time. I can keep her from bleeding out, but she's lost so much already. We need to get her to a hospital immediately." The scientist made quick work of covering the wounds with gauze and allowed Grant and May to carry the young woman quickly down the stairs to the car.

The nearest hospital was 10 blocks away, and Phil made quick work of the traffic, scaring pedestrians off hte sidewalk when necessary. The whole ride Ward stayed in the back with Skye, holding her hand, whispering into her ear, praying. Once they arrived at the hospital the doctors were quick to respond to the emergency. They gently placed her on a gurney and rushed her to an operating room. Simmons relayed the necessary medical history to the doctors. Age. Weight. Blood type.

The doctors would not let the team into the operation. Even Simmons who tried to assert the fact that she had her doctorate and had every right to enter into the room.

"We'll let you know how it goes as soon as we can. The longer you argue with me, Doctor Simmons, the longer it takes me to attend to your friend. Now please have a seat." Simmon's finally acquiesced, dropping her head and turning back towards the waiting room. The team stood as soon as she walked in,

"What happened?"

"Did they tell you whats going on?"

"Is she going to make it?"

"Simmons, why didnt they-"

"Enough!" She interrupted the flood of questions, "They wouldn't let me in. They're working on her as we speak. They said they would update us as soon as they had a chance."Nobody spoke. Everybody was thinking of their fallen comrade. "If you excuse me, I'm going to clean up a bit." Ward noticed that her hands were covered in Skye's dried blood, his were as well.

"I'll join you."

They walked towards the bathrooms and split off into their respective bathrooms. Ward wouldn't help but stare at the blood that entered the sink. All he could hear was the last thing she had said to him, I love you. He had waited so long to hear those words. He hated that the only reason he heard them was under such cruel circumstances. He wished that he hadn't been such a coward and had told her before she left for her leave. If she didn't surive...if she...he would...

Grant shook his head, trying to push out the thought of Skye dying. He turned off the water and dried his hands. He walked out and made to head back to the waiting room when he heard a soft sob come from the girls room. Turning, he gently knocked on the door,

"Simmons?" He heard a her sob in response. Hoping that she was alone, he pushed the door and entered the bathroom.

Simmons was curled on the floor against the wall. Tears streaked down her face. The water was still running, but her hands were still covered in blood. Grant turned off the water, and sat next to Jemma on the wall. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Jemma uncurled herself and clutched at Grant's shirt, burying her head in his chest. He could feel the moisture from her tears seep into his shirt.

"It's okay Jemma."

"She-she-she was just lying there! So-so-so much blood. T-t-too much blood. S-someone should have been there. Maybe-Maybe-" She let loose a new surge of tears. Grant did his best, holding her firmly, reassuring her.

They sat there for a few moments. Jemma's sobs began to lessen and her breathing was returning to normal. Finally they sat in silence. Grant managed to get the young scientist on her feet and help her wash the blood from her hands. He avoided looking at the sink, at the blood draining down the middle. He didn't think he could stand to watch that again. When Jemma finished cleaning and drying her hands he led her out and back to the waiting room.

Leo was busy fiddling with one of the dwarves, Phil was pacing back and forth. May was the only one to acknowledge theyhad returned. Seeing Grant support Jemma she raised an eyebrow, but remained silent in the seat. Just as they sat down a nurse entered the room,

"Family of Skye?" Phil was the first to react, stepping infront of the nurse. His eyes filled with worry.

"Thats us, is there any news?" The nurse sighed,

"They're still in surgery, they managed to remove the two bullets but she sustained a lot of damage. They're doing what they can, but she lost a lot of blood." she paused, looking at the fearful faces of the team, "It's not looking good. I'm sorry but you may want to make plans to say goodbye."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. So will Skye survive or not? Will Grant ever be able to tell her he loves her face to face? All this and more later. Please rate a review and let me know what you think.
> 
> Feel free to input your suggestions or take a guess as to what will happen.
> 
> Reviews make me a happy birdy.


	3. Chapter 3

The world hurt. The light hurt her eyes, the sheets hurt her skin, the tubes hurt her throat. Skye kept slipping in and out of consciousness, the pain ebbing and flowing all over her body. She wanted to scream, but there was a tube in her way. She tried to distract herself, think of something other than the pain in her torso. She thought back to the last time she had seen Grant. They had been arguing. Over something stupid no less. She wanted to cut their training short, it was Friday after all and they had the weekend off.

"When you're staring down the barrel of a gun with no extraction plan, you're going to look back on this day and regret cutting it short." He warned, not pleased with his rookies attempt at getting out of work. Skye shrugged,

"That day will never happen. You're always going to be one step behind me. Right Mr. Terminator." Skye saw Ward flinch at the name,

"This team isn't a permanent fixture. Once you become a full blown agent, you'll be assigned to missions without us. I won't be there to protect you." Skye shrugged and continued to wipe her face with the sweat towel,

"They'll have to pull from this team kicking and screaming. There's no way I'm leaving here anytime soon." Grant gave an irritated growl as Skye began to sip from her water bottle,

"This isn't a joke Skye. There are people out there who want to destroy whatever peace there is in the world, they want to create death a destruction and at one point you are going to be the only thing stopping them. They will not hesitate to pull the trigger." Skye lowered the water bottle from her lips and glared at Ward,

"You don't think I know that? You don't think I don't vividly remember what its like to be at the end of the barrel. In case your memory circuits fried, let me remind you that I got shot. Ward. I know the risk." Ward glowered at her,

"I havent forgotten. Its exactly this cavalier attitude that got you shot in the first place. If you actually tried and trained properly then-" Skye slammed the water bottle back into its holster,

"Damnit Grant, I am trying. You would know if I'm not. Ive stuck with your crazy 6 am schedule and your exhausting workouts and quite frankly I'm fucking exhausted." They glared at each other for a moment before Skye broke eye contact. She looked down at her sneakers and spoke quietly, "All I'm saying is that we end twenty minutes early so I can get changed and go to the apartment I havent seen in 2 months and spend what little time we have away from your pessimistic attitude."

Ward nodded stiffly,

"Maybe we should spend some time apart. We need to have clear heads before we start on our next mission." Skye looked up at him, the anger was gone, replaced with a look of exhaustion,

"Yea maybe we should." With that she had walked out and went to shower before heading to her apartment.

Looking back now, she definitely regretted cutting training short. Maybe if she had finished those extra 20 minutes, she would have missed the kids. She wouldn't of gotten shot. She felt a singular tear roll down her cheek. It was her own fault she got shot. She was lazy and now she was dying. Grant was right, he was always right when it came to this stuff. It was part of the reason she loved him. And now she was going to die. Without seeing his face one last time.

And it was all her damn fault.


	4. Chapter 4

It was several hours before the nurse came back to the waiting room. Fits and Simmons were leaning against each other, using their heads for support as they both napped quietly. Grant had taken to burying his head into his hands. May had disappeared, presumably heading back to the bus to check on everything. Coulson stared at the white wall before him, deep in thought. The nurse gave a gentle cough, and Coulson quickly turned his head. Upon seeing the nurse, he quickly made his way towards her. She spoke before he could get a word out.

"She's in stable condition. The first bullet didn't hit anything vital. The second was what we were concerned about. It tore through some serious organs, and she sustained a lot of damage." She paused and looked over at the rest of the team momentarily before continuing, "We tried everything we could. With so much damage and loss of blood it is possible for her body to shut down. Only time will tell. We have her on support at the moment." Casting one final glance to the others, she spoke a little softer, "You're welcome to see her." Coulson nodded without hesitation.

The nurse turned and headed back from where she had come, and Phil followed. It wasn't long before she stopped and gestured him into the room. Phil gave her an appreciative nod and quietly stepped in. He was immediately met with the sight of his injured operative. To put terms lightly, she looked like shit. Her skin was deathly pale, and her hair was sprawled all over the pillow behind her. Her face lacked its natural blush of color and the tubes protruding from her mouth and nose made her look even more small and beaten.

Phil considered waking the rest of the team for a moment, after all, they had all been waiting there for quite some time. He decided against it, he couldn't bear to watch Simmons fight back tears again, or see the anguish on Ward's face. He wanted just a moment to talk to his hacker.

He pulled up a small chair and gently reached for Skye's pale hand. It was unnervingly cold and limp, Phil squeezed it for a moment, hoping to get a reaction. There was none. He sighed and returned her hand to her side. He gazed at the machines for a moment, listening to the slow steady heartbeat and the sound of the machines forcing air into Skye's lungs.

"You'd laugh," he started, voice catching, "shot by some random thief in your apartment. Not fighting next to an Avenger, not by some mafiosa. By some idiot in the wrong place at the wrong time." He chuckled as he imagined Skye's reaction to her situation, "'Lame way out.' Is probably what you would say. You've been a shield agent for all of 2 months and you've already bee shot twice. The problem being that this time, there's no magic serum. I would know, I checked." The beeping of the monitors continued, as Phil thought of his next words,

"I didn't know it when I started this team, but you're what we needed. Someone to be a friend to Fitz and Jemma, someone to connect with Ward, someone with unwavering compassion for May, and most importantly, someone to help me see the rational side. Without you, this team would have been blown out of the sky by the first 084 we encountered in South America." Phil could feel the emotions bubbling in his chest, as he fought for his next few words, "We still need you Skye. This team doesn't function without you. You're the glue that keeps us together." He gave a deep sigh and looked down at his hands, "Please don't go."

Coulson heard movement coming from the door behind him and turned to find May staring at him. Her face remained passive, but he could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Bus is secure. I sent Fitzsimmons back to sleep, but Ward refuses to leave without seeing her first." Coulson nodded, Figures,

"I was just finishing up here. I'll head back to the bus, do you mind staying with him? Bring him back when he's done?" May nodded, but raised an eyebrow,

"What makes you think he's going to want to leave?"

"It's his call. If he does, great. If he doesn't, that okay too. Whatever he needs to cope." May nodded once and returned her gaze back to the girl in the bed,

"If we had been faster, maybe it would be different." Coulson felt a rush of sympathy for the specialist. He placed a comforting hadn on her shoulder,

"The nurse said there was nothing we could have done. The second bullet is what caused all the damage." May didn't look convinced. She let her gaze linger at the bed for a moment before turning and walking back to the waiting room.

In her dreams, Skye thought she could hear Coulson. He was talking to her, about getting shot. There was something about mafiosas and Avengers. It was all very cloudy. After a moment, his voice became clear,

...Someone to be a friend to Fitz and Jemma, someone to connect with Ward, someone with unwavering compassion for May, and most importantly, someone to help me see the rational side...

She wanted to say something, let him know that she could hear him, but her body wasn't listening to her brains commands. She heard Coulson's voice drop, as though he had walked away. All she could hear was a low grumble. Suddenly another voice joined the grumble. It sounded a lot like May's but Skye couldn't be too sure.

Skye begun to get frustrated at her lack of control. Her mind was getting cloudy again, and she began to slip in and out of sleep again. She fought for as long as she could before darkness enveloped her once again.


	5. Chapter 5

Ward waited for May to emerge from the hospital room. She had made him wait outside while she went to go talk to Coulson. He couldn't leave without seeing Skye first. He had to see her himself to make sure she was alive.

May slipped out of the door, with Coulson trailing behind her. His face was marked with sadness and what looked like exhaustion. It made sense, neither man had slept since they had arrived at the hospital 36 hours ago. May nodded to the specialist, giving him permission to enter the room. He nodded back appreciatively and entered the room.

Even unconscious Grant thought Skye was the most beautiful creature he had laid eyes on. Even with tubes sticking out of her, and the color drained from her face, the sight of her still left him breathless.

Trying to regain his composure, Ward reached for the chair Coulson had vacated. He lowered himself slowly and reached for Skye's hand. It was still very cold. A weight rested on his heart as he could feel the hackers weak pulse through her wrist. She was alive, but just barely. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, pressing his forehead against the smooth skin of Skye's hand.

"I'm so sorry." He muttered, "It wasn't meant to be like this." The emotion swelled up in his chest, cutting off the rest of his words. He swallowed and opened his mouth in another attempt to speak. "I love you Skye-" His voice cracked at her name, "I knew it from the moment I laid eyes on you. And it kills me-kills me, that the last you saw of me, you hated me." He gave a deep sigh, "I wanted to keep you safe. I wanted you to be able to protect yourself. That's why I wanted to keep training. Maybe if I hadn't pushed so hard, maybe if I stood my ground, you wouldn't be in this mess." He moved his hand to push back the hair from Skye's face.

"I love you Skye, I don't know if you can hear me, but in case you do, I love you. I need you. You bring the light into my life, you make this job worthwhile. Without you- I don't want to imagine my life without in it Skye. I love you, and I need you. Please Skye, I need you to fight." Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. Grant stood and bent over the bed, placing his lips on Skye's temple. A singular tear rolling down his cheek.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The monitors started to beep erratically, and Skye began to convulse on the bed, Grant began to panic,

"Nurse! Hello? Anyone? We need some help in here!"

As suddenly as they had started, the monitors stopped. All that was left was a green flat line. People began to flock into the room, barking orders and pulling the tubes out of Skye's mouth. Grant couldn't do anything but look on as the nurses began preparing to shock Skye back to life. One of them finally noticed the specialist and began to push him out of the room. Grant was still too stunned to resist. His last view into the room was the doctors placing the paddles onto Skye's chest, in preparation for the shock.

"Skye."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Skye was blinded by the light. When she finally got her bearings, she was disappointed at the sight. It was white as far as the eye could see.

Is this heaven? Skye wondered, as she examined her surroundings. She turned and almost jumped when she saw a figure approaching from the white.

"May?" The silent specialist stopped right in front of her, she looked the same as always, in her black pilot suit, poised for action. "Am I dead? Are you my guardian angel?"

"Of a sorts." Skye remained silent, hoping for a better explanation, she got none.

"So what's going on? Do I have some decision to make? To live or die? Cause I choose live. Hands down." May pursed her lips together,

"Skye, you've flatlined. This is your subconscious shutting down. At this point there is no choice. Its death." Skye felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. She was actually dead. There was no going back, no way of getting back to Grant, telling him she loved him. It was too late. May waited for Skye to process the information before she resumed speaking, "At this moment there is a team of doctors working to try to shock you to life. Now you need to listen. You can go back, but only if you follow exactly what I say. Okay?" Skye nodded. "I need you to think back, to a moment that made your heart skip a beat. It has to be a powerful one, otherwise it won't work. Think back to that moment and relive it, feel everything you were feeling. Then, and only then will you be able to join us in the land of the living."

Skye closed her eyes thought for a moment and opened her mouth to ask May a question, but the pilot dissipated like a wisp of smoke. Skye retunred to her thoughts, thinking about a time when her heart skipped a beat. She first considered when she nearly fell out of Lola when she first joined the team. It didn't feel right though. She then thought back to when she first thought she loved Miles, but it still felt wrong.

Finally she thought back to when Ward jumped to save Simmons. Her heart a skipped a beat, not only out of terror, but out of love as well. It was when Ward disappeared from view of the plane that she truly realized she cared for her SO, in a romantic capacity. Skye took a deep breath and allowed herself to relive the fear and sadness that had marked that day. In her mind she saw Grant leap out of the cargo hold and into the clouds, and she felt her heart skip a beat as he disappeared into the white.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Skye felt a painful jolt, and opened her eyes. She was still looking at white, but rather it was the white light of the hospital room. She almost sighed in relief. A kind face appeared within her field of vision.

"Hello Agent Skye. Glad you're back. We almost lost you!" Skye attempted a weak smile, and spoke for the first time,

"Glad you found me doc!"


	6. Chapter 6

Grant stared up at the grey ceiling of his bunk. May had suggested (more like sternly ordered) that he join the team and go back to the Bus to wait.

"You won't get any answers here harassing the nurses." She had pointed out, "Plus, your bed is probably a lot more comfortable than the chairs in the waiting room. "

Grant conceded to her point, but only because he didn't think he could stand watching all the nurses and doctors scurry into Skye's room. But upon entering his room and laying on the bed, Grant came to the conclusion that no matter where he was, waiting for news was a terrible ordeal. Twice he thought he could hear whispers outside his door, possibly Fitz or Simmons trying to check in on him, but they quickly faded away as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

"Grant!"

The specialist woke immediately and sat straight up the in the bed, startling the female scientist who had woken him up. His heart was beating a million miles a minute. She must have news, otherwise she wouldn't of woken him.

"What is it? Is it Skye?" Jemma nodded enthusiastically, her cheeks tinged pink,

"We just got the call from the hospital, she's awake, and she's talking." Grant flew from the bed, a big grin on his face, and his heart fluttering,

"What are you waiting for! We need to get to the hospital." Jemma gave a small chuckle as the specialist rushed through the door.

"Grant?" He turned around, slightly annoyed that the scientist hadn't moved from her spot at the door.

"What is it Simmons?" The scientist pursed her lips together in an effort to conceal her laughter,

"Maybe, you should consider putting on some shoes, before we go." Grant looked down at at his feet, which indeed were without shoes and socks. He gave a grunt of annoyance and swept back into his room. He grumbled his thanks as he slipped on his shoes and socks and made his way back to the cargo hold. The van was already gassed up and May was at the wheel.

"It's about time." she grumbled as she turned the key into the ignition and backed out.

Nobody in the car spoke the whole ride to the hospital, each agent absorbed with their own thoughts of what to say to Skye. It wasn't long before the van pulled up to the hospital and the team piled out. Grant was the first to reach the nurses station. It was the same nurse from earlier, so she recognized Grant. She spoke before he could get a word out,

"She's awake Mr Ward, but I've been instructed that there may be only one visitor at a time." She shot a glace over to where the rest of the team had gathered, "Mrs. Skye will still need a lot of rest. I would suggest you decide amongst yourself's who should go in first." He smiled and gave her a grateful nod, and turned back to his team.

"They're only allowing one of us to go in at a time. They think too many would tire her out." They all looked to Phil, they knew he would probably want to talk to Skye first. He pursed his lips for a moment before he spoke,

"Grant," All eyes turned to the specialist, "You were the last to talk to her, the last to see her here. It's only right you be the first to talk to her." Grant kept his face devoid of the excitement he was feeling. He nodded his thanks to the director and stepped away. He took a moment to gether himself and set off down the hall towards Skye's room. He could feel his excitement and anxiety build every step closer. He approached the door and gave a soft knock. There was movement on the other side of door and a grunt of pain before he heard a soft "Come in!"

He turned the knob and slowly opened the door. He poked his head in cautiously and a smile immediately spread on his face. Skye was sitting up in bed looking towards to door with interest. The color had returned to her face and there was a steady beeping coming from the heart monitor in the corner of the room. The beeping sped up slightly when Skye recognized the face in the door,

"Grant!" he slipped through the door and dragged a chair to the side of the bed. A wide smile had appeared on her face and her eyes shone. "You're here! Thank god!" Grant chuckled and reached out for her hand. It was warm and comforting.

"Me? Thank god you're here! You're alive!" He squeezed her hand reassuringly. Skye sighed and looked down sheepishly,

"It's my fault. I couldn't protect myself, even against some stupid kids." Grant reached out and brought her eyes to meet his,

"Listen to me Skye. None of this was your fault. All we need to focus on the fact that you're alive and you're here with us." He brushed away a tear from the hackers eyes. She moved her hand to intwine her fingers with his, this show of affection causing Grant's heart to skip a beat.

"Did you mean it?" Grant looked at Skye questioningly, "What you said on the phone...You love me?"

Grant paused for a moment before closing the gap between their two lips. He felt Skye tense up at first contact, but after she registered what was going on, she relaxed and melded in with his lips. It was soft and sweet, but it did the job. After a minute they separated, both slightly breathless.

"Does that answer your question?" Skye gave a sigh of contentment,

"Yes, yes it does." They sat in silence, forehead's touching, drinking in each other's company. They didn't hear the quiet knock on the door, and consequently were surprised when Coulson stuck his head in. They quickly separated, embarrassed. Coulson gave them a knowing smile before turning his gaze to Skye. The hacker's face was flushed red in embarrassment.

"I'm glad to see you're alive." She gave a small nod and 'Thank you sir' and he gestured to Grant, "I'm sorry to break this up, but Simmons is waiting, rather impatiently, for her turn." Grant nodded and gave Skye a quick kiss on the forehead, promising to see her soon. He nodded to the director as he slipped out the door. No sooner was he out the door when the petite scientist rushed past him into the room. He returned to the waiting room with Coulson by his side. May gave him a questioning look before Phil took her off to the side. Fitz was busy tinkering with some sort of machine.

Grant took a seat next to the engineer, unable to wipe the grin off his face.

The team's visit seemed to fly by. After her moment with Grant, it was all just a blur. Jemma fussing about her meds, Fitz muttering about a more efficient way of delivering the pain meds. Phil seemed the most parental, asking if she was comfortable, if she needed any more pillows. May was the most normal, she questioned her about the kids in the apartment, how old they looked. It felt more like an interrogation, but Skye had seen the concern in the older woman's eyes.

When May finally wished her well and stepped out, Skye laid back in bed, exhausted. As some point, her pain meds had worn off and her stomach hurt like a bitch. She pressed the button on the side of her bed that controlled the flow of drugs into her system. All she really wanted to do was sleep, so sleep she did.

For the first time in a long time, she actually dreamt.

She was sitting in the passenger seat of Lola, driving down the highway, hair flowing in the wind. To her left, Grant was at the wheel, the sun glinting off his aviators. She didn't know the context, she didn't know where they were exactly, but they were together, and they were happy. Thats all she could ask for.


End file.
